circa 1868
Welles, Gideon, 1802-1878
Autograph manuscript
Title: [Manuscript denouncing Benjamin Wade]
Welles rails against Congress, and Senate President Pro Tem Benjamin Wade in particular. Probably written during the Johnson impeachment crisis. Welles was a Johnson supporter and a strong opponent of Wade. If Johnson's impeachment had resulted in removal from office, Wade would have become president. Welles noted in his diary that the thought of the much disliked Radical Republican Wade becoming president may have, in and of itself, prevented Johnson's conviction. Excerpt: "What a virtuous, abstinent and reserved imbecile would our radical Ohio Senator become were he only made President…
GLC00254